1965 Ford Mustang Convertible

Ford experimented with a Mustang Concept that featured a mid-engine Ford of Europe V-4 with a sleek, open roof body. General manager of Ford Division, Lee Iacocca, was not set on the idea, and wanted a car with a wider appeal. His vision was for a compact sporty car that could share components with Ford's other (albeit dull but successful) economy car, the Falcon. After successfully selling his ambition to Ford Management, the original 'pony car' called Mustang was born. The car was actually termed a 1964½ model, since it was introduced mid-season. There were two body styles available, a notchback coupe and a convertible. In 1965, the 2+2 fastback body style was added to the lineup. The two-door 'notchback' hardtop coupe was the most popular body style, outselling the convertible nearly 5 to 1. The cars sporty looks were highlighted by a large grille with a galloping pony emblem, bucket seats and floor-mounted shifter.

The Mustang was based on the Falcon chassis and Fairlane drivetrain components. The Mustang was introduced to the public at the New York World's Fair on April 17th of 1964 as a mid-year model. Ford estimated sales to reach 100,000 annually, and was not expecting to achieve a record of 680,000 sales during its first model year.

The base price for the two-door coupe was $2,368, selling for just $383 more than the low-priced Falcon. Buyers ordered an average of $1,000 per car of nearly 70 options available. Nearly 73 percent of Mustang buyers selected one of the optional V-8 engines. Interior options included a wide selection of decor packages and color combinations.

The new Mustang Convertible was selected to pace the Indianapolis 500, giving the public even more exposure to the new model. Benson Ford, brother of company president Henry Ford II, had the honor of driving it around the Brickyard.

This example is well equipped and includes a vinyl top, black Pony interior, Ford-O-Matic automatic transmission, Rally-Pac instrumentation, air conditioning, AM radio and a wood steering wheel. It has been fitted with the 1970 Mustang wheel covers. Other than a repaint, the car is an original example, finished in Poppy Red with a white vinyl top.

In 2010, the car was offered for sale at the Vintage Motor Cars of Hershey auction presented by RM Auctions. The car was estimated to sell for $20,000-$30,000 and was offered without reserve. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $16,500 including buyer's premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2010